Test Pilot

Gregg Johnson was a test pilot in the Skull Squadron where death was the only retirement benefit. XOXO-13 was the designation for an experimental spaceship Gregg named Hugs and Kisses. When a tiny thing goes wrong in space, it becomes a very large thing. As usual, it had flaws, but would they be fatal? More

Space was a dangerous place and the new technology being developed needed to be thoroughly tested before others benefited. Members of the Skull Squadron performed those tests, often losing their lives in the process. Captain Gregg Johnson was the best the Skull Squadron had to offer.

Experimental drugs, which made him faster and more responsive, ran through his veins while he listened to the details of his next assignment. He was given an exotic new suit with stars floating through the material while at his side rested his trusty hand cannon.

XOXO-13 was the designation for an experimental spaceship Gregg named Hugs and Kisses. When a tiny thing goes wrong in space, it becomes a very large thing. Gregg pushes the forbidden red button to escape the certain crash he is headed to.

John H. Carroll was the youngest of seven children and was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1970 where he was kept in a dresser drawer with the clean socks. Luckily, he wasn’t kept with the dirty socks or else he might have grown up to become slightly warped.

As a child, John spent most of his time wandering through the Mojave Desert in an attempt to avoid people. He would stare at the sky, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. One of his favorite memories is watching his dad build the fuselage of Evel Kneivel’s skycycle in their garage. One of his least favorite moments was watching that skycycle fall into the Snake River. (Not his dad’s fault and he has documentation to prove it, so nyah)

As a teenager, John spent most of his time driving wherever he could in an attempt to avoid people. He would stare at the road, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. He was the captain of the chess team, lettered in golf and band while in high school, and wasn’t beaten up anywhere near as much as one might imagine.

As an adult, John spends most of his time staring at a computer screen in an attempt to avoid people. He stares at the monitor for hours, imagining what it would be like to explore different worlds. He has been married to his wonderful wife for sixteen years and they have three obnoxio . . . wonderful children who always behave . . . when they’re asleep.

Emo bunny minions surround John at most times. He is their imaginary friend and they look to him for guidance. At one point, they took over the world. No one noticed because they left everything exactly as it was. They gave the world back after a week because it was depressing.

The Willden Trilogy is his first endeavor into the field of writing. Other series and standalone works will be forthcoming. In addition, John has written a number of short stories that can be found at most eBook sites. He writes in the evenings and weekends whenever possible. Regrettably, the family mentioned in a previous paragraph desires food and shelter, requiring the author to possess a full time job until his writing makes him rich.

Also by This Author

Reviews

Review by:
John Whelan
on Nov. 27, 2013 :
Very short but readable
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by:
S. Michael Choi
on Dec. 04, 2012 :
Solid four stars **** for "test pilot" which is short story speculating on circumstances of first FTL craft sometime in future. Characters--and prose--have a "gee whiz" buck Rogers quality of 1950s america or an essentially happy person. Considering how much filler there is on smash words, this is worth one's time, and I won't be deleting from my library(review of free book)

Review by:
Lisa Quirk
on Nov. 06, 2011 :
Perfect story with a perfect blend of sci-fi and humor. Great entertainment.(review of free book)

Review by:
Matt Di Spirito
on April 11, 2011 :
Great short story! There isn't much in the way of plot or point, but the main character is the focal point and he's slick. I enjoyed every minute of this quick read.

This story is used to preview a novel, so be prepared for the fact that it is very short; the extra pages are for a free excerpt of another work.(review of free book)